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Preparing your home before listing for sale.

Listing your home for sale requires some preliminary work in order to put your best foot forward once you’re ready to hit the starting line. As soon as you’ve decided that you will be selling, if even in a few months, you are best to get started on preparing the home so that you can earn top dollar when it hits the market.

We all become very emotionally tied to our homes. The home holds memories; family get togethers, our children, special times with friends. The good news is these will forever stay in your heart & head; it is now time to detach yourself from the home. Instead choose to look forward at the new adventure that lies ahead in your new home.

The next step is to go from room to room, including the hallways and de-personalize the home. Remove all personal photos; pack them away safely for the move.

De-cluttering the home is essential. Take the time to visit a few new builder show homes. Take note of the decor and the lack of clutter; ultimately, you want to mimic the openness of the show home. Note that there is no association to anyone specific evident in the show home. We can all envision ourselves living there. Counters are clear with the exception of the odd decorative item; knick knacks are minimal.

A great idea that we hear all the time, is to categorize into 3 groups as you go through each area of your home; have a container/box for ‘To Keep’, “To Throw” and “To Donate”. Think very hard as you sort; will you truly use the item again? Have you used the item in the past year? Once you begin, you will be amazed how easy it becomes to donate many items and minimize the amount you will need to move to the new home.

Tidy every closet, cabinet, bathroom drawer etc. People will be going through these when viewing your home. Make sure the surfaces are clean and organized. Closets should be purged as much as possible. Pack away the clothes that you’re not using for the current season.

Start at the front door of your home, take note of scuffs on the walls and doors and clean these. Clean your windows. Tighten loose knobs on cupboard doors/doors. Make sure they’re not jamming when you try to close them and if so, adjust. Patch holes/dents in the walls and touch up with paint. Make certain that every room in the house shines; floors are clean, mirrors are streak and dust free, refrigerator and stove is spotless. If you have area rugs, consider rolling them up to store as a room looks larger without them. They also trap odours that we’re often not aware of as the home owner.

Finally, be sure to give the outside of your home the same attention. A fresh coat of paint on the garage and front door will do wonders for the home’s curb appeal. Pick up any garbage that may have blown into your flower beds; trim your bushes and keep the grass cut.

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The trademarks MLS®, Multiple Listing Service® and the associated logos identify professional services rendered by REALTOR® members of CREA to effect the purchase, sale and lease of real estate as part of a cooperative selling system. The trademarks REALTOR®, REALTORS® and the REALTOR® logo are controlled by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) and identify real estate professionals who are members of CREA.